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Fire Alarms in conveted buildings

Martyn
So I'm going to leave this one fairly open as I would prefer your views to mine ?


Something I am interested in knowing rater than planning to actually do!


Situation:


Building built as a hotel in 1900 Converted to Flats in the 40's


5 stories


6 flats per level ( 3 either side of a communal stairwell)


The flats have timber separating floors and in the main solid walls.


The 6 flats on each floor are split 3 either side and have a mini separate communal entrance leading on to the main communal stairwell this has a 60 minute fire door probably no longer 60 minute due to age and movement. this mini communal also has timber separating floor.


The main communal stairwell has 12" concrete slab landings which whilst they don't offer much interfloor fire protection due to the stairs, they do effectively separate the east and west sets of flats from the timber floor, very difficult to see how a fire in the west might spread to the east unhindered.


Currently there is a communal fire alarm dating to the 90s covering the stairwell and the mini communal areas but none of the flats.


I have not seen nor do I think there is a FRA


The question


Given this is an existing system what if any would be the actual legal position with regard to meeting the requirements of 5839 or the RRO?


With the obvious compartments (Albeit timber floors) would you consider this to be sufficient?


Cheers


Martyn

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    you might hope the ceilings below the wooden floors were continuous, and ideally either in fireboard (1940s could be asbestos !) or double thickness hi-temp plasterboard.

    I'd be very surprised if you could justify not having the alarm linked to detectors and alarms in the flats, unless you could show non combustible compartmentation between the flats, such that you could light a fire  in one, and let it burn to completion and  not spread. Even more important if there are penetrations for ventilation, soil pipes et that would allow a fire to spread rapidly. Is each flat door a fire door.
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    you might hope the ceilings below the wooden floors were continuous, and ideally either in fireboard (1940s could be asbestos !) or double thickness hi-temp plasterboard.

    I'd be very surprised if you could justify not having the alarm linked to detectors and alarms in the flats, unless you could show non combustible compartmentation between the flats, such that you could light a fire  in one, and let it burn to completion and  not spread. Even more important if there are penetrations for ventilation, soil pipes et that would allow a fire to spread rapidly. Is each flat door a fire door.
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